Background and objectives: Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a gluten-free grain with acclaimed benefi-cial effects on human health. Our aim was to assess the effect of buckwheat products on intestinal/extra-intestinal symptoms and biochemical parameters in patients with Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS).
Methods and study design: A randomized, crossover trial with two intervention phases was conducted on 19 NCGS patients over a 12 week-period. The participants were assigned to consume products made from buckwheat or to maintain their normal gluten-free diet for 6 weeks in a random order. Symptoms due to NCGS were evaluated using two questionnaires.
Results: During the intervention period with buckwheat products, patients experienced a signifi-cant decrease in the severity of abdominal pain and bloating (p=0.03). In contrast, the control group showed a significant worsening trend for the majority of NCGS symptoms such as nausea, headache, joint/muscle pain, and attention disorders. The replacement diet with buckwheat products also resulted in a significant increase of serum magnesium (+4.7%) and a significant reduction in the circulating levels of some pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma (-33.3%) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (-46.5%).
Conclusion: The study supports the positive effects of buckwheat for NCGS patients, showing that this alternative cereal can contribute to the re-duction of both negative gastro-intestinal and related symptoms, and nutritional deficiencies, and lead to an im-provement in inflammatory profile.